Elephants trample to death 2 Asha workers on Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border

The victims were identified as Asha worker Vasanta (37) from Anniala village and Ashwathamma (40) from Dasarapalli village

Bengaluru:

Forest officials said, elephants were spotted around Gummalapur, Anniyallu, and Gandi areas for the past few days (Shutterstock)

Two women were trampled to death by elephants in the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border village of Anniala while they working on an estate on Sunday morning, said Anekal range forest officer Bharat Kumar.

The victims were identified as Asha worker Vasanta (37) from Anniala village and Ashwathamma (40) from Dasarapalli village.

“The incident occurred around 8am in Tamil Nadu’s village that lies on the border of Anekal forest range in Karnataka. The elephants strayed into nearby villages in search of food and water, and while returning to the forest, attacked two women. We got in touch with Tamil Nadu forest officers, making a joint effort to chase away the elephants by patrolling at night,” added Kumar.

Forest officials said, elephants were spotted around Gummalapur, Anniyallu, and Gandi areas for the past few days before they ventured into Anniala village on Sunday morning. Despite attempts by villagers to drive away the elephants, they attacked and killed three cows, besides the two women.

The officer said, soon after the incident, villagers expressed outrage towards the forest department for failing to control the elephant menace.

Led by local MLA Ramachandra, villagers staged a roadblock, demanding swift action and accountability. They asked the department to pay a compensation of ₹20 lakh to each for the families of the deceased women, as well as government jobs to a family member. The roadblock was lifted following police intervention.

Eshwar Khandre, the minister for environment, ecology, and forest, reiterated the state government’s unwavering commitment to protecting human lives and property from elephant attacks.

“It is sad that the elephants trampled to death two women on the border. The state government will establish an expert committee tasked with studying human-elephant conflict and devising solutions,” Khandre told reporters in Bengaluru on Sunday. “It is important to safeguard elephant corridors, and the government is working on it. The government is installing railway barricades along a 640-km stretch, out of whichwork on 312 km is has been completed,” he added.

The elephant attacks are growing around the forest areas in the state. On January 26 this year, a 48-year-old woman died after an elephant attacked her in Hosuru Bettageri village in Virajpet town of Karnataka.

The next day, a 65-year-old farmer was killed in an elephant attack in Geralli village of Kanakapura town on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

On January 1, a 35-year-old woman was injured in Baradanahalli village in Kanakapura town after an elephant attacked her.